Join Us At GCBS Winterfest: A Celebration For Ordinary Radicals

On January 13, 2024, the Garden City Bird Sanctuary, Inc. (GCBS), will observe its sixteenth annual Winterfest. When people ask me, “What’s Winterfest?” I used to describe the unique holiday and its ceremonies. I think I’ve adopted a better explanation; it’s a celebration of ordinary radicals.

The name radical conjures up mostly negative connotations. We tend to think of some type of extremist, usually involved in leftist causes, as opposed to the reactionaries, or extremists of the right. Actually, the word “radical” derives from the Latin radix, which means “root” (think: rad-ish). To be radical means to get at the root of something.

At the root of many of the world’s woes is apathy towards things that really matter. Too many people spend their days in self-absorbed activity, going beyond a “me first” attitude to “only I count.” They gripe about the erosion of the environment, world hunger, war, and countless other problems. What do they do about it? Most take a defeatist attitude of the “you can’t fight city hall” persuasion. Others wait for someone else to do something, because “I’m only one person.” And of course, you can always donate to some charity and tell everyone, “I gave at the office.” A few will try to take on the world with more than questionable motives and activities usually geared to a specific cause. These are the wild-eyed people branded as “radicals” in the media.

Then there are the ordinary radicals. They are those people who are inspired to do something to make a positive difference in a meaningful way. They understand the root of the problem is not getting involved, so they do what they can to make their little corner of the Earth a better place to be. They are people of goodwill, who are not ordinary. “Ordinary,” in the sense I’m using it, doesn’t mean “normal,” rather it means “average person.” That’s because being truly radical is not reserved for saints, like a Mother Teresa, it’s within the grasp of all people of goodwill who desire to volunteer their time and efforts to improve our world, one little piece at a time. An ordinary radical is therefore not someone who thinks they have a cause and a monopoly on being radical, nor are they ordinary people who gripe and do nothing.

In 2009, the Board of Directors established Winterfest, a holiday celebrated the second Saturday of January and inspired by the best qualities exhibited by those who volunteer and/or donate at the GCBS.

Ordinary radicals are always people of goodwill who embody the best traits humanity has to offer, such as environmental stewardship, volunteerism, and hope for a better tomorrow because of the efforts that ordinary radicals will do for each other today.

The GCBS raises funds for the homeless, keeps the Sanctuary open on weekends every April though September for people to enjoy nature, and provides good, clean family fun at such events as our Halloweenfest.

It is my honor to invite all who wish to be there to the sixteenth annual Winterfest, the GCBS’ own holiday that celebrates these wonderful characteristics and our supporters; “people of good will” is a phrase you will hear quite a lot at our ceremonies!

This year, I stepped aside after 12 years as President of the Board, and Brook Brown, our new President of the Board, will be there to tell you about all our plans for 2024!

Winterfest begins at 4 pm as twilight approaches. As our supporters file in, there is warm coco to drink as we fill the birdfeeders and put up some decorations for our fine feathered friends. At about 4:30, we have a poem recitation around our newly planted trees. Then we culminate the event with our Candle-lighting Ceremony in which we have the “Great Telling.” Just as some Native Americans have a ceremony that describes the history of their tribe, the Directors tell the story of the GCBS and Winterfest itself. Each Director tells a part of the story. During the ceremony we will publicly honor one or two of our outstanding volunteers, and at least one of whom comes from our indispensable Volunteer Corps!

At Winterfest we also remember the past year’s accomplishments and dream of the ones to come in 2024. We celebrate Winterfest in the middle of the gloomiest time of the year when the days are short, the nights are bitter cold, and nature sleeps in the seeming throes of death. Why? Because our message of hope is “All Winters Must Come To An End.” Not only will the seasonal winter pass to a new springtime of life, but the various “winters” in our lives will also pass. The winter of health problems, financial worries, relationship problems, work related problems—all these “winters” will eventually end. The great religions of the world tell us that the winter of death itself is not the end of us, but a passing into a new life. As long as we remain ordinary radicals, things will work out. Winterfest is an opportunity for communal hope that things will be better this coming year and allows people to focus on what unites rather than divides us.

Winterfest shall take place at 4pm on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at the front gate of the GCBS opposite 181 Tanners Pond Road regardless of the weather. The event is free and open to the general public. Hope to see all you ordinary radicals there!